People With Eating Disorders Are Being Prescribed Ozempic — and the Results Are Dire

Popsugar writer Emilia Benton discusses the problematic practice of some physicians prescribing GLP-1 agonist medications, like Ozempic, to treat eating disorders. In this article, Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar shares her concerns and the impact of GLP-1 agonist medications on the eating disorder community. "Eating disorders are one of the most fatal mental illnesses; anorexia specifically has the hightest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. This makes prescribing a medication that can potentially trigger disordered eating behavior all the more concerning," said Dr. Wassenaar.

Published: Jun 12, 2024

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Elizabeth Wassenaar, MS, MD, DFAPA, CEDS-C

If you've followed health and wellness news and trends over the last couple of years, you're likely familiar with the drug Ozempic, which appears to promise dramatic results for individuals wanting to lose a significant amount of weight.

The glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, drug is a fairly new medication that was originally approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It was designed to improve blood sugar, along with diet and exercise, possibly leading to weight loss.